Steam-superheater.



STEAM SUPEHHEAT-ER.

APPLICATION FILED mums. I9l5.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918 OFFIC.

JAMES S. NICHOLS, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

STEAM-SUPERHEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au c, 1918.

Application filed June 23, 1915. Serial No. 35,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. NICHOLS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Superheaters, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in superheaters for steam boilers and more especially to boilers of the locomotive type having an internal fire-box, and its object is to provide a superheater unit adapted to be contained Within the fire-box for the purpose of increasing the steam power of the boiler and to effect greater economy in fuel, the superheater unit, according to the present invention, comprising a water chamber arranged to be acted on directly by the fire in the fire-box and connected to the water space of the boiler to maintain a water circulation through such chamber, and a steam superheatingchamber arranged adjacent to and at the front of the water chamber to be heated by the products of combustion after the latter have passed around the sides and above the water chamber, the steam chamber being thereby protected from injury by the'excessively high temperatures, and the connections between the steam chamber and the steam superheater unitsin the flues of the boiler are materially simplified.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a vertical section, taken through the forward portion of the fire-box, of a boiler of the locomotive type and showing a superheater unit installed therein.

Fig. 2 represents a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the upper portions of the water and steam superheating chambers, partly in top plan and partly in section.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

The present invention is applicable genorally to steam boilers, but it 1s particularly adapted for use in increasing the steam power and economizing in fuel in connection with a boiler having an internal fire-box and flues leading therefrom. The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter described in detail, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown, as equivalent constructions within the scope of the annexed claims are contemplated.

In thepresent instance, 1 designates the outer shell of the boiler, and 2 the internal fire-box. The usual fire-grate 3 is shown at the bottom of the fire-box and the crown sheet 4 at the top thereof. A rear flue sheet 5 is arranged at the front of the fire-box to which the tubes 6 are fitted, the lower portion of this rear flue sheet forming with the outer shell of the boiler the water leg 7. In the present instance, the connections 8 for the superheater units contained in the flues of the boiler are shown.

The superheater unit embodying the present invention comprises a water chamber 9 and a steam superheating chamber 10. The water chamber 9 serves in efl'ect as a water arch for the fine in the fire-box and it is preferably constructed of a shell 11 having a substantially horizontal upper wall 12 which is spaced below the crown sheet 4 so as to provide a passageway 13 between it and the crown sheet for the flow of the products 'of combustion from the fire-box to the flues, and this water chamber also embodies side walls 1 1 which are spaced from the side walls 15 of the fire-box to provide passages 16 for the flow of the products of combustion from the fire-box past the sides of the water Chamber and to the flues. The rear wall 17 of the water chamber preferably occupies a generally inclined position, it. sloping in a direction downwardly and forwardly in order that it may be acted on most effectively by the heat from the fire on the grate. Preferably, and as shown, a concavity 17 is formed in this rear wall 17 of the water chamber for the purpose of deflecting the rising products of combustion back into the fire-box to insure complete combustion thereof and the greatest utilization of the heat thereof. The water chamber is connected to the water space of the boiler in order that a constant circulation of water will be maintained through the water chamber, to the end that this water chamber will operate to V water chamber is connected to the water leg 7 of the boiler by a suitable number of pipes upon these walls.

18, a row of these pipes being shown in the present instance, and the upper end of the water chamber is connected to the water space of the boiler above the crown sheet by a suitable number of pipes 19 which, in the present instance, are arranged in rows and connect the top wall l2of the water chamher to the crown sheet 4. With this arrange-- ment, water will enter the water chamber from the water leg 7 and will flow upwardly through the water chamber, and the water at increased temperature passes from the top of the water chamber into the water space of the boiler above the crown sheet.

The steam superheating chamber 10 is located adjacent to and in front of the water chamber 9, and the front wall of the steam superheating chamber is directly opposite to the rear flue sheet 5. In the construction shown, a wall 20 separates the water chamber from the steam superheating chamber, this wall 20 in the construction shown being fitted to the structure as a partition wall and the steam superheating chamber is in effect formed as a pocket in the forward side of thetwater chamber. The front wall 21 of'the steam superheating chamber and the top wall 22 thereof are subjected to the heat of the products of combustion after the same have passed around the sides or above the water chamber, the steam superheating chamber being thereby protected from injury by excessive temperature. Preferably, a heat protecting or insulating medium 1s applied to the front and top walls of the steam superheating chamber to prevent direct action of the products of combustion As shown, a layer or coating 23 of asbestos, cement, or other suitable heat-protecting or insulating material is applied to the exterior surfaces of the walls 21 and 22, and a metal or other suitable jacket 2 1 is applied over the heat insulating layer or covering, this jacket being secured in position by suitable lugs 25. The upper edge of the jacket 24 is protected from the direct action of the products of combustion by a fillet 26 which may be formed on the top wall 12 of the water chamber, and a fire-brick arch or wall 27 may be interposed between the lower end of the water chamber 9 and the water leg 7 to protect the lower edge of the jacket 2-1 and to prevent flow of the products of combustion beneath the water chamber. In using the fire-brick arch or wall 27 at the point just described,the pipes 18 will serve to support the same in position. Saturated steam from the steam dome or any other suitable part of the steam space of the boiler is conducted to the steam superheating chamber 10 by a suitable number of pipes 28 which, as shown, extend downwardly through the crown sheet 4 and the top wall 22 of the steam" superheating chamber, The connections 8 for the super- 1,27a,oe11

heater units in the fiues -of the boiler are connected directly in the wall 21 of the steam superheating chamber 10.

The water and steam superheating chambers, according to the present invention, are so located within the fire-box as to utilizeto the greatest degree the heat generated by the combustion of the fuel, and the steam superheating chamber is so located and protected that suflicient heat will be supplied thereto to effect superheating of the steam during its passage through this chamber although overheating and consequent injury to the steam superheating chamber is prevented, owing to the manner in which the same is protected by the water chamber which latter is subjected'to the higher temperatures within the fire-box. The water chamber and the steam superheating chamber are supported within the fire-box by the pipes connected thereto, and as the front wall 21 of the steam superheating chamber is directly opposite to the rear crown sheet without the interposition of any part of the water chamber, the connections between this wall of the steam superheating chamber and the superheater units in the flues can be made with the greatest facility.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a steam boiler having a fire-box and fines leading from the front thereof, of a water chamber arranged in the fire-box and spaced from the walls thereof to permit passage of gases to the flues, said chamber being cohnected to the water space of the boiler to circulate water therethrough, a steam superheating chamber located adjacent to said water chamber and between the latter and said flues, the water and steam superheating chambers being 105 united and combined as a unit, and superheater units in the flues connected directly to the front wall of said steam superheating chamber.

2. The combination with a steam boiler 110 having a fire-box and flues leading therefrom, of a superheater unit in the fire-box comprising a shell containing a water chamber and an adjacently located steam superheating chamber located between the water 115 chamber and the fines and protected by the water chamber, said unit being spaced from the top and side walls of the fire-box to pronected to the water space of the boiler and spaced from the side walls and crown sheet thereof for the passage of products of combustion to the flues, a steam superheating chamber formed as a pocket in the front of the water chamber and located opposite to the ends of said flues, and superheater units connected to and leading forwardly from zaid superheating chamber into the boiler ues.

5. The combination with a steam boiler having a fire-box and flues leading therefrom, of a water chamber. in the fire-box connected to the water space of the boiler and spaced from the side walls and crown sheet thereof for the passage of products of combustion to the flues, a steam superheat ing chamber located at the forward side of the water chamber and having its front wall exposed to the heat of the'products of combustion after passing the water chamber, and superheater units connected to and extending forwardly from the front wall of the superheating chamber into' the boiler flues.

6. The combination with a steam boiler having a fire-box and flues leading forwardly therefrom, of a s'uperheater unit in the fire-box comprising a water chamber having a rearwardly and upwardly inclined concave rear wall, and a steam superheating chamber located between the water chamber and the flues and protected by the water chamber, and superheater units communicating with and extending forwardly from the superheating chamber into the boiler flues. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v v

' JAMES s. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

' Amer: DUFFY,

Cms. S. Hm 

